TheFace: Fatin K. AlKahtani, co-founder of Trilogy, a center focused on the wellness of mind, body and soul

“Support her academic career, embrace her interests and nourish her passion.” Those were the words of my late father to my husband after he asked for my hand in marriage.

I had returned from the US with a master’s degree in systems engineering and integrations with honors from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and decided to pursue my passion of teaching Saudi women the skills required for a bright future.

Growing up, I had always wanted to be a teacher, and after spending 10 years lecturing in project management and quality assurance, I decided it was time to become a certified project management professional. Once I achieved this, I launched what would become a successful project management consultancy firm.

One summer evening in 2011, my son Abdulaziz, then 3-year-old, was going through an old album and noticed a photograph of his father playing golf in college. He grabbed the photo and asked my husband if we could take him to play. We took him the following day, and we continue to take all our children — his brother Khalid and sister Sara — to the course at least three times a week.

In 2014, we decided to launch a nonprofit youth golf academy by volunteering our time to introduce this wonderful game to schools in Riyadh. Last year, we installed a golf simulator and created an indoor academy on the rooftop of our home, which today hosts tens of juniors, women and members of the Saudi national team.

Golf is a wonderful game, watching young children socialize as they play alongside experienced players on the weekends builds their confidence, teaches them humility, and is always great fun for the whole family.

In 2018, I co-founded Trilogy, a center focused on the wellness of mind, body and soul. It offers a range of classes in meditation, yoga, Pilates, in addition to customized personal fitness training and nutrition plans. It also provides accreditation programs for Saudi females who are interested in pursuing careers as trainers, and acts as a platform for qualified trainers to showcase their skills to our members.

My husband and wonderful family have fulfilled my father’s promise by not only supporting my academic career while embracing my interests, they have also opened my eyes to new passions and challenges. I am truly blessed to be living a happy and fulfilling life alongside my family and feel obliged to provide some advice: Allow your children to be the project managers of their own lives, encourage them to plan their days and always embrace their passions. Treat your children as best friends and allow them to bring out the child in you. There is a child inside all of us and once it is unleashed, happiness is guaranteed to follow.

When I stop and look at the fast-paced social and economic changes taking place in the Kingdom, I recall the proverb “behind every great man is a woman.” The reality of Saudi Arabia today is that alongside every great woman is a man, a women, a child, and an entire nation cheering her on.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said drones that attacked Saudi Aramco installations had caused an interruption of an estimated 5.7 million barrels in crude supplies and threaten the world economy.

The Arab Coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said in a statement that investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators.

And Al-Maliki said Arab coalition forces would continue to implement necessary measures to deal with the terrorist threats.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said as a result of the terrorist acts, oil production in Abqaiq and Khurais was knocked out temporarily and that estimates show that 50 percent of the company’s production had been interrupted.

Part of the decrease will be compensated to clients through reserves, Prince Abdulaziz said in a statement carried on the Saudi Press Agency.

The newly appointed minister confirmed there were no injuries to staff at the locations targeted, adding that the company is still assessing the resulting damage.

The attacks not only target the Kingdom’s vital installations, but also target the international oil supply and threaten its security, he said, and are a threat to the world economy.

The blasts took place at 3:31am and 3:42am at the two locations, both in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, causing fires that were brought under control by emergency services.

The drone attacks, at the world’s largest oil processing plant at Abqaiq and at an oilfield in Khurais, highlight the importance of the international community to protect energy supply against “all terrorist sides that carry out, support and finance such cowardly disruptive acts,” the statement said.

He said that these blasts also knocked out the production of 2bn cubic feet of associated gas daily, used to produce 700,000 barrels of natural gas liquids, which will lead to an approximate 50 percent decrease of Ethane and natural gas liquids supply.

The statement said the company is currently working on restoring the lost quantities, and will present updated information within the next 48 hours.

World leaders condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia on Saturday and those behind the terrorist acts.

Donald Trump called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reassert his country's “readiness to cooperate with the Kingdom, by all means conducive to maintain its security and stability.”

The Crown Prince "underscored the Kingdom’s willingness and strength to thwart such a terrorist aggression and deal with its consequences,” SPA reported on Saturday.

The UAE said it “condemns this act of terrorism and sabotage and considers it as a new evidence of the terrorist groups’ attempts to undermine the security and stability of the region as a whole.”

“The Houthis must stop undermining Saudi Arabia’s security by threatening civilian areas and commercial infrastructure,” said the British government.

“The US strongly condemns today’s drone attacks. These attacks against critical infrastructure endanger civilians, are unacceptable, and sooner or later will result in innocent lives being lost,” said the US envoy in Riyadh John Abizaid.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was emphatic about the need to condemn Iranian aggression, specifically on Saudi Arabia, and the need to ensure the security of world energy supplies.

“Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy. Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen,” he tweeted, “We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran’s attacks. The United States will work with our partners and allies to ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable for its aggression”

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, said they had carried out the attacks and that 10 drones had been used.